Mission Statement: Sustainable Tri-Cities provides opportunities for people of the Tri-Cities to learn about and act on ways to protect our environment for a healthy and rapidly changing future.

EVENTS

Aug. 4. WA Dept. of Commerce Public Hearing on Cooling Assistance. Attend or comment by Aug. 4th to ask that Commerce to devote some of their planned budget for the 2026 LIHEAP program for cooling and summer crisis assistance. Take a quick survey to provide feedback about 2026 LIHEAP State Plan or Join the August 4, 2025 LIHEAP Public Comment meeting at 10 a.m. PT (on Teams) LIHEAP is administered locally by the B. F. Community Action Committee.

Aug. 5. Primary Election for City Councils and School Boards. See the Voter’s guide for candidate info.

Aug. 5. Energy Siting Council Q&A. Improving the efficiency and effectiveness of clean energy siting and permitting in WA state. The Council is holding a questions and answer (Q&A) session to provide information about the report and draft ideas. 6:00 -7:00 pm. Register now 

To comment, see the Action section below.

Aug. 9. Smart Watering. WSU extension class.

Aug. 16.  Monthly Market Tri-Cities Food Co-Op Every 3rd Saturday of the month: local vendors of handmade goods, seasonal produce, wellness products, fresh baked treats, and more. Richland. Coffee Bar 7 am – 7 pm. Every Sunday, 12–2 pm, Real Aid & Tri-Cities Distribution provides free food, hygiene items, and essentials. Volunteer opportunities.

Aug. 17. Sustainable Tri-Cities monthly meeting. Demo Garden, Union Str. Library. 12:30 pm. Bring your lunch & ideas, and maybe a chair. Meet us at the picnic table near the waterfall classroom. 

Aug. 19. Geothermal Energy Information Session – Learn about a collaborative process for the development of geothermal resources in WA state. The Legislature recognized geothermal energy as a potential resource for clean energy and directed the Dept. of Ecology to bring people together to talk about this type of clean energy at an early stage. 1:00-2:00 pm. Register now

Aug. 21. Spuds & Suds. Fundraiser benefiting STEAM education and exhibits at the REACH Museum. 5:30 – 8:00 pm | 8:00 – 9:00 pm After Party. Richland.

Aug. 27 – TC Chapter Citizens’ Climate Lobby monthly meeting. 7pm. Learn what we can still do in this current “climate”. Contact  Steve .

Aug. 29-31. Tumbleweed Music Festival. The CBW Native Plant Society is looking for volunteers at their booth. Volunteers need not be there every day nor all day long. You don’t have to be an expert on native plants or the shrub steppe. The festival has five stages with all kinds of acoustic music from across the Northwest. More information at tumbleweedfest.com If you are interested, please contact Mikki Symonds at 509-303-3893 or syom4@protonmail.com The sooner we know, the better. Howard Amon Park, Richland — FREE ALL DAY!

ACTIONS FOR AUGUST

Become a Master Gardener.  The deadline to apply is Sept. 1st, 2025. Submit completed applications to: 7102 W Okanogan Pl., Suite 102, Kennewick, WA. Call 509-735-3511 with questions. “The purpose of the WSU Master Gardener Program is to train volunteers to be effective community educators in gardening and environmental stewardship.”

Dept. of Ecology wants to hear from you:

• Protect cool water in Western WA’s forest streams. The draft analysis how to comment is available on our forestry webpage.

• Clean Energy Siting. The Interagency Clean Energy Siting Coordinating Council (Council) invites feedback on ideas for improving the efficiency and effectiveness of clean energy siting and permitting in Washington. The Council prepared draft recommendation ideas for review and input for its annual report to the governor and state Legislature. Comments can be submitted using an online form from July 16, 2025, through 11:59 pm on August 15th.

• Recycling Batteries. Comment at one of two public virtual hearings held via Zoom. Both events include a presentation and Q&A session. Register in advance at one of the following:   Aug. 28, 2025, 1-4 pm or Sept. 3, 2025, 6-9 pm.  The deadline is Sept. 10, 2025.   Email to: batterystewardship@ecy.wa.gov   Submit comments online: https://swm.ecology.commentinput.com?id=84Dx26bpJ9

Provide comments for the WA State draft Comprehensive Climate Action Plan (CCAP) through our Public Comment Form (Smartsheet), due August 22, 2025.  Draft CCAP  STC will conduct guided reading sessions to help fill out the form. Contact Bill.

Take the Kennewick  visioning survey for their next comprehensive land use plan. “We need your help to confirm our collective vision, community values, and investment priorities. No deadline posted. You don’t have to live in the cities in question to do the survey.

Safe Routes to School (SRTS) is a program with the goal of making it safer, easier, and more fun for kids to walk, bike, or roll to school. SRTS focuses on safety education, encouragement, and infrastructure improvements within 1.5 miles of schools. Here is the BF COG SRTS Final Plan

Send your events and volunteer opportunities to SustainableTricities1@gmail.org  so we can post them on our website and put them in this newsletter.

WHAT WE DID in JULY

Climate Opportunities Action Plan. The (COAP) team, with STC and CCL members, continues to meet monthly. A regional planning group, the CPAT, which includes Bill Barlow (STC) and Steve Ghan (CCL), just had their final meeting. The opportunity for public comments will be announced soon.

STC Monthly Meeting- July 19 at the Demo Garden.We plan to work together to suggest climate adaptation changes to local comprehensive plans, helping to shape WA’s litter tax, and parking space minimums. This will include attending city council meetings, and writing comments. We are also looking into finding evening shelters for heat and air quality emergencies.

Attended the WA Climate Partnership (CCAP) Summer 2025 Quarterly Meeting July 28.   The goal of the CCAP is to “create an actionable, equitable, and comprehensive plan to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.” Progress was shared on statewide climate planning efforts.

Sustainable Tri Cities Resource Directory . Now available on the STC website. It defines then lists who is working on each topic in our community. The three main categories are Environmental, Economic, and Social Sustainability. Many thanks to STC member Les Stewart for this extensive resource for our community! If you see something to add to it, please let us know.

NEWS and THINGS to READ

Tapteal Native Plants business is for sale. “I’d love to see it continue to grow and stay part of the community under new ownership. If you or someone you know might be interested, please get in touch with me at 509.578.6446 or info@taptealnativeplants.com – Ann.” 1222 Broadview Dr., West Richland, WA, 99353.  www.taptealnativeplants.com

August issue of Tumbleweird.

Pg. 18 – Boots in the Basin. New footing and Digging Deeper with Dana Ward (President of the Lower Columbia Basin Audubon Society),by Jenny Rieke. 

Pg. 19 – Birding Clubs: Binoculars, bonding, and budding scientists; Shrug Steppe Native Species, by Jenny Rieke.

Pg. 20 – Priority Climate Action Plan [WA State]. By Bill Barlow, Sustainable Tri-Cities.

Pg. 24 – A failure of imagination. By Steve Ghan. Citizens’ Climate Lobby, Tri-Cities Chapter. “Our imaginations are underutilized. We can exercise our imaginations by letting go of the status quo and taking time to dream about the better life we want for ourselves, our families, and our friends. Then, we can choose that future, and work with others to make that dream a reality

For more news and events, see the Sustainable Tri-Cities website  www.alsctc.org/events

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